Easing The Traveller’s Burden

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30234, 12 September 1963, Page 13

Easing The Traveller’s Burden

(Special Crspdt. NZ.P.4J LONDON, Sept. 11 The United Nations world conference on travel, which has just concluded its two-week meeting In Borne, recommended that member nations should encourage tourism as an earner of foreign exchange. a stimulant to economies in general, and an instrument of international goodwill. Among measures suggested to make the traveller's k>t an easier one were these: (1) The tourist should be defined as anyone staying

in any country other than his own for at least 24 hours on pleasure or business. (2) His passport should remain as "the most suitable international travel document.” but it should be valid for five years, an unlimited number of trips, and all countries. (3) His visa entry and exit should be abolished, as has already been done in many countries. (4) He should be exempted from police control once he has completed formalities for entering the country. (5) He should be permuted

to import his "personal effects” without payment of customs duties, including three cameras and a generous amount of films, sports equipment, and "one perambulator,” (6) He should be granted not less than £ 150 in foreign exchange by his government for each journey abroad. (7) He should be allowed to bring back to his own country £35 wo."th of souvenirs duty tree. (8) He should be spared from taxes, fees, charges <x income tax clearance on arrival in, or departure from, any country.

(9) He should be the honoured guest and cherished ward of every national tourist organisation. (10) He should be favoured with improved hotel accommodation, created with Government loans or grants if necessary. (11) He should be granted lower air and sea fares where it is economically feasible. < 12) He should be warmly welcomed as a desirable visitor by people of every hand. (13) He should be accorded freedom of travel as a basic and inalienable human right.